


A Familiar Face

by ElliotsArchives



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aqua can't get a break, Pre-KH 3, Realm of Darkness, Venitus, Venitus as in fused Ven and Vani
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 04:05:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8829808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliotsArchives/pseuds/ElliotsArchives
Summary: Aqua sees a familiar face in the Realm of Darkness.





	

The mere sight of Ven caused Aqua to break into a sprint. She felt it could just be a hallucination, another trick of the Realm of Darkness. But every step closer, Ven still stood there, coming more into focus.

Then Aqua noticed his clothes.

 _Vanitas_. The same dark black-and-red garb she was all too familiar with.

She didn't falter. Her _Master's Defender_ apparated in her hand without a thought. Even with the same messy blond hair, that _monster_ was not Ventus.

Emotions ran wild in Aqua's mind. What once was nostalgia and relief twisted into hurt and anger. She was never one to get angry. Wasn't she the calm and collected one, who would think before acting?

The Realm of Darkness was no place for pondering her choices. There was only act. If Aqua let her guard down, or hesitated in her attack, she would be struck down. It was relentless, but so was she. Aqua had adapted to this environment. It was how she had survived so long.

This time was no different.

With a routine turn of the Keyblade in hand, she was prepared to strike the creature down. Even with the likeness of someone she once held dear, Aqua didn't think. She merely needed to act.

Before she reached Venitus, it must've heard her. It slowly turned over its shoulder to face her - soft features, slightly parted lips, bangs swept out of its eyes.

_It hurt._

It hurt to see Ven. Or at least, his likeness. It reminded Aqua of the promise she had made. To her friends. To save Ventus.

She wanted it gone. She was sick of this place screwing with her, making her relive everything.

Aqua swung the Keyblade at the remnant.

But then she saw its eyes.

A gorgeous, deep blue. Not the sharp amber of Vanitas's presence.

Her swing halted. For the first time in what felt like years, Aqua froze. Then it spoke.

"Aqua."

His voice - _Ven's_ voice - sounded tired. It was dull and worn, almost as if he'd just woken. His blue eyes held the same exhaustion, but they weren't soulless. Aqua remembered how empty Ventus's eyes once looked, long ago, when they'd first met. These weren't like that.

"V-Ventus?"

The name felt awkward on her tongue. It had been so long since she'd properly said her friend's name. Hell, talking was nearly foreign. Other than spells and battle cries, she never talked. What was there to talk to?

Aqua didn't move. Keyblade in mid-swing, her eyes stayed locked on the boy. Ven didn't even acknowledge it, a mere foot from his head. He seemed dazed, looking in Aqua's direction but not focusing on her.

"Aqua," again he airily spoke her name. It sent shivers down her body. Ven reached out towards her, hand limp. Aqua remembered her confrontation with Terra. Instinctively, she leaped back, battle ready. Again, Ven did not flinch.

Her mind raced, thoughts consumed with questions. This couldn't be... Could it? How was he here?

"Is that really you, Ven?" She blurted, guard up. Aqua was fully ready for it - him - to turn into some Heartless. But he stood ever still, eyes wavering towards Aqua.

"Yes... And no," Ven said, his head cocking slightly. "I feel like me."

"What about Vanitas?"

Ven's outstretched hand slowly pressed against his embroidered chest. His outfit looked like coils wrapped into a heart-shape.

"He's joined with me. I'm like how I used to be," his shoulders shrugged and Ven made a noise almost resembling a chuckle. "When I trained under Master Xehanort, before I met you and... Terra." He sounded out Terra's name carefully.

"You're... Healed?" Aqua couldn't believe it. _Ven was okay_. All she had to do was get his heart back to his body-

A Keyblade flared to life in Ventus's hand. Aqua's body ran cold. It wasn't Ven's _Wayward Wind_ , or even Vanitas's _Void Gear_. In his right hand was the thing Xehanort had sought after. A weapon that torn apart Aqua and her friends. The Key to Kingdom Hearts - the χ-blade.

She didn't hesitate anymore. A burst of magic erupted from her own Keyblade's tip, sending an icy blast at Ven. His χ-blade was lifted without effort and blocked the attack. Aqua met with those same blue eyes.

"Funny how things work," Ven didn't sound like he was even talking to her. He seemed to just be thinking out loud. "Vanitas told me you were a spare. In case I didn't work out."

Aqua remembered something similar to that, spoken by the Masked Boy. It hadn't made any sense to her at the time. Now... Aqua felt she understood. Ven inspected the χ-blade in his hand, lifting it high above his head. With a swipe, the χ-blade was pointed at her. Any exhaustion was gone, Ventus more awake and alert.

"I'm curious to see _why_."

**Author's Note:**

> The saying 'strike while the iron's hot' is basically me in a nutshell.  
> I'm curious why Ventus has blue eyes as Venitus in the 2.8 opening. Think of this as my interpretation.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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